May 17, 2010

Coral Springs, Fla. - The National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) announced the 2009-10 student-athlete and coaches awards for Division II last week, as the winners were recognized at the NGCA Division II Awards Banquet held in Mesa, Az., where Grand Valley State was competing. Four Lakers earned all-region status, as Rebecca Mailloux was named East Region Coach of the Year, while a pair of GVSU golfers garnered All-America honors.

For the second straight season, Mailloux was honored as the East Region Coach of the Year, as she also won the award in 2009. Mailloux was one of just four coaches recognized as regional coaches of the year, as she was joined by coaches from the South (Kevin Marsh, Nova Southeastern), Central (Nick Campa, Minnesota State Mankato), and West (Jerry Doyle, Tarleton State) regions. At the Super Region One Tournament in Springfield, Mo. on May 4, the Lakers captured a 13-stroke victory for their third straight regional title. The regional championship came a little more than a week after GVSU won the GLIAC Championship by 26 strokes, the third straight league title for the Lakers. Mailloux was named the GLIAC Coach of the Year for the first time, as Grand Valley State took home all four league honors, including Athlete of the Year, Conference Medalist, and Freshman of the Year. GVSU advanced to the Division II Women's Golf Championships last week for the third straight year and ninth time in program history, finishing in sixth place.

Named to the NGCA All-America Second Team was sophomore Sarah Hoffman, who was the team's most consistent player throughout the year. Hoffman won three consecutive tournaments (Buccaneer Invitational, Drury University Lady Panther Shootout, Ashland Invitational) earlier in the spring and was named the GLIAC Women's Golfer of the Week twice in that span. At the national tournament last week, Hoffman finished 21st with a 309 (+25) after placing second (224, +8) at the regional championships. An All-GLIAC First Team selection, Hoffman tied for second place at the GLIAC Championships with a 149 (+5).

The second Laker to earn All-America status was junior Allie Tyler, as she was named an All-America Honorable Mention recipient. Also named as an All-GLIAC First Team choice, Tyler finished in a tie for seventh place at the regional tournament with a score of 229 (+13). At the GLIAC Championship in late-April, Tyler was 15th with a total of 162 (+18).

Grand Valley State placed four of the 10 golfers on the NGCA All-Region East Team, as Hoffman and Tyler were joined by seniors Caitlin Bennett and Ashley Smith. Bennett, Smith, and Tyler were All-Region East Team selections in 2009, as well.

Tabbed as an All-American Honorable Mention last season, Smith was named the 2010 GLIAC Athlete of the Year (for the second straight season) and earned GLIAC Tournament medalist honors with a score of 143 (-1), as the lone golfer to finish under par. After finishing in a tie for fifth place at the regional tournament with a 227 (+11), the All-GLIAC First Team honoree placed in a tie for fourth at the national championships last weekend with a four-day total of 299 (+15).

The fourth Laker to be named to both the All-Region East Team and All-GLIAC First Team is Bennett, who tied with Hoffman for second place at the GLIAC Championships with a score of 149 (+5). During the Lakers' three-peat at the regional tournament, Bennett came in fourth place with a 226 (+10) and finished 33rd at the national championships with a 313 (+29).